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G. Niblock on the L41 TipSUP Noserider. Photo: J. Chandler

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

"A" Train On the Tracks

The conductor set the "A" Train on the tracks, and the Express line to fun was in full effect. I pulled into the Yellow House station at 5:30 this morning and met the train head on as the first wave engine dragged a full set of wave cars and the caboose through Yellow House. All the rider had to do was pump and move and hang on tight through the steep sections for a righteous joyride. Trimming would not do, pushing and banking the Angulo Olohe through the sections was a must to avoid having the conductor punch your ticket and throw you off the train. This went on for two hours before the rising tide washed the train off the tracks and the fun was over. Not very cost effective for the Wavemaker Railroad...I was the only rider.Much warmer today than yesterday because the wind didn't come up until 0625 and the drizzle didn't start until 0645. Gray, gloomy and overcast until I got out at 0840. Later in the day though things brightened up, the fog burned off and for the first time in a week the smoky haze was so light you couldn't smell it. It was almost clear blue skies.

The Tuesday/Thursday SUP Club was out in force this morning but I gotta say, it's pretty cool to know everyone by first or nickname in the line-up. Sam, John, Mash, Mo, MikieB, JJ and me surfed Sarge's on and off, making forays into other line-ups for quick checks or a quick wave before paddling back. I paddled up to GDubs and caught a few wide ones, the south still putting up sectiony waves across the reef. GDubs is about as congested with kelp as I've ever seen it. At times it's like there's no water, just kelp. Riding there is one eye on the wave and one eye on the kelp bushes as they loom up to grab the inattentive.Camera: Set the ISO to 800 and the pics seem a bit better, still grainy and soft though. Pics today show Robert and Daniel on some of the smaller waves, sets were bigger but less often than yesterday, going head high on the best set waves. The swell is dropping slowly. My good fortune at Yellow House was due in large part to a minus tide which was lower today than yesterday at paddle out.July 1, 2008 (Tu)In: 0537Out: 0840AT= 55 degreesWT= 54 degrees at the nearshore buoyWx: Overcast and gray, marine layer at 2000 ft.Tide: -0.70 Rising to 2.41Wind: Calm to light SWSea Surface: Glassy to light wind ripplesBuoy: NWS0600: 3.3 feet @ 14.8 SSW0700: 3.3 feet @ 14.8 SSW0900: 3.3 feet @ 12.1 W1000: 3.6 feet @ 14.8 SSW10'4" Angulo SUP with Infinity paddleFin set-up: Thruster with Bluecoil 5.5" center fin and FCS Occy sidesBathymetry: Rock reefsCDIP: (0600 hours) 2.0 feet at 11 seconds from 295 degrees and 2.2 feet at 14 seconds from 190 degrees